title: Cold-related cardiorespiratory symptoms among subjects with and without hypertension: the National FINRISK Study 2002.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to cold weather increases blood pressure (BP) and may aggravate the symptoms and influence the prognosis of subjects with a diagnosis of hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that subjects with hypertension alone or in combination with another cardiovascular disease (CVD) experience cold-related cardiorespiratory symptoms more commonly than persons without hypertension. This information is relevant for proper treatment and could serve as an indicator for predicting wintertime morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire inquiring of cold-related symptoms was obtained from 6591 men and women aged 25-74 yrs of the FINRISK Study 2002 population. BP was measured in association with clinical examinations. Symptom prevalence was compared between subjects with diagnosed hypertensive disease with (n = 395) or without (n = 764) another CVD, untreated diagnosed hypertension (n = 1308), measured high BP (n = 1070) and a reference group (n = 2728) with normal BP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypertension in combination with another CVD was associated with increased cold-related dyspnoea (men: adjusted odds ratio 3.94, 95% confidence interval 2.57-6.02)/women: 4.41, 2.84-6.86), cough (2.64, 1.62-4.32/4.26, 2.60-6.99), wheezing (2.51, 1.42-4.43/;3.73, 2.08-6.69), mucus excretion (1.90, 1.24-2.91/2.53, 1.54-4.16), chest pain (22.5, 9.81-51.7/17.7, 8.37-37.5) and arrhythmias (43.4, 8.91-211/8.99, 3.99-20.2), compared with the reference group. Both diagnosed treated hypertension and untreated hypertension and measured high BP resulted in increased cardiorespiratory symptoms during the cold season.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertension alone and together with another CVD is strongly associated with cold-related cardiorespiratory symptoms. As these symptoms may predict adverse health events, hypertensive patients need customized care and advice on how to cope with cold weather.
authors.affiliation: 1 Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Tiina M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Ikäheimo
authors.forename: Taru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehtinen
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Antikainen
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jokelainen
authors.forename: Simo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Näyhä
authors.forename: Juhani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hassi
authors.forename: Sirkka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laatikainen
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jousilahti
authors.forename: Jouni J K
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jaakkola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires